Magnetically mounted clock



April 1961 v. SHANOK ET AL 2,978,215

MAGNETICALLY MOUNTED CLOCK Filed Aug. 29, 1960 I N VEN TORS V/c rae Jive/Mag W I! III 14/ I EMWZEW/Ailil'l/Ai -WEZ M W 7922 775 X78 /7 75 4rro/e/ws'y United States Patent MAGNETICALLY MOUNTED CLOCK Victor Shanok and Jesse P. Shanok, both of 863 65th St., Brooklyn 20, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,460 7 Claims. or. 248-115) This invention relates generally to mounting devices and particularly to mountingdevices employable for the support of clocks. i

The development of small permanent magnets of great strength has witnessed a concurrent development of their employment as mounting devices for a great variety of equipmennthus enabling the equipment to be mounted in a great number of positions and places where materials attracted to such magnets are disposed. However, where the equipment to be mounted would be adversely affected by the presence of a magnetic field, the use of such small permanent magnets for mounting purposes has necessarily been limited. This has been particularly true in the case of clocks whose mainsprings or other moving parts have difiiculty in functioning properly when they are near the poles of a magnet.

I It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved magnetic mounting means for supporting such devices without producing any adverse effec thereon Another object of the invention is to provide an improved magnetic mounting means which may be used for supporting and incorporation in a clock without disturbing the operation of any of its parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved light-weight magnetic mounting means which may be used for support of and incorporation in a portable clock;

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved magnetic mounting means of compact and economical assembly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable clock having facilities for the reception of an improved magnetic mounting means which does not disturb the operation of the clock.

or this form of the taken about the line 33 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows in the vicinity of the ends of said line 3'3;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line 44 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows in the vicinity of the ends of said line 4-4;

Figure Sis a cross-sectional view taken about the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of thearrows in the vicinity of the ends of said line 5 95; and

Figure 6 is atop view of the form, of the invention depicted inFigures 1 and 2. I

As shown in the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the invention comprises a clock having a dial 10 2,973,215 Patented Apr. 4,

and housing 11, the latter receiving a conventional clock mechanism (not shown). Said housing is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed, radial pins 12 projecting from the circumferential periphery of the body 11 and pivotally journalled in a pair of lugs 13 formed integrally with a base 14. The base is also provided with sloping surfaces 14a and an oval depression 14b. The base and housing are preferably composed of a rigid non-magnetic plastic material.

It will be observed that with this arrangement, the housing and dial may be rotated in a plane radial tothe axis of the pins 12 to any desired angle.

The base 14 is also mountable upon any surface attracted by a magnetic field. Thus, the base 14 may be disposed, for example, upon the flat'surfaces of a steel cabinet or upon the surfaces of other steel equipment or furniture. Such mounting permits the base 14 to be disposed in a large number of angular positions, thereby augmenting the rotational mobility of the housing and dial. Accordingly, by reason of such mobility, the dial may be advantageously disposed so as to be read from a great variety of positions of the user. i

To provide the magnetic field required for the mounting of the said clock, the bottom of the base 14 is pro vided with a platform 15. This platform is formed with a rectangular depression 16 which seats a pair of adjacent shields 17, each of said shields having a horizontal web 17d and a pair of oppositely disposed depending flanges 17b, thereby forming a generally U-shaped member. Each ,Oftheshields is preferably composed of a metallic material, such as steel, and houses a generally rectangular magnet 18. In this form of the invention, the magnets employed are of the ceramicjtype wherein the magnetic poles are located at the upper and lower faces 18a, 18b of the magnet. A central bore 19 is provided in each of said magnets, said bore being aligned with an aperture 24 in the shield 17 and also with a threaded aperture 20 in the platform 15. A fastening element, such as a screw 21, is received in said bore 19 and threadedly engaged with the aperture 20, the head of said screw abutting against a shoulder 22 within said bore 19 to hold the upper face 18a of said magnet in contact with the horizontal web 17a of the shield 17.

This disposition diverts the magnetic field emanating fromthe upper face 18a of each of the magnets so as to cause the lower edges 17c of the flanges 17b to acquire the polarity of said upper face 18a. At the same time, by virtue of such diversion, the upper surface of the web 17a is magnetically neutral. Hence, the shields prevent any portion of the magnetic field arising from each of the magnets from being imposed upon any portion of the 7 tion that the faces 18b and edges 17c of each of the shields and magnets are at the same elevation, thereby facilitating such contact. I I

The embodiment of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove has been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible to being modified in respect to details of. con struction," combination and arrangementof parts which may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

a We claim: 1 y

1. In combination witha clock received within a housing, mounting means comprising at least one magnet disposed at the bottom of saidhousing, the said magnet 3 being provided with a shield intermediate of said magnet and clock.

2. A device according to claim 1, the said shield being provided with a horizontal web in contact with one pole of the said magnet, said web being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed depending flanges, the edges of the depending flanges having the polarity of the said pole of the magnet, said edges and another pole of said magnet cooperating to secure said mounting means against a magnetic surface.

3. A device according to claim 2. said magnet and shield being provided with a pair of apertures aligned with an aperture in said housing, said magnet and shield being secured to said housing by a fastening element extending through said pair of apertures and threadedly engaged with the aperture in said housing.

4. An improved clock supporting device comprising in combination, a housing, a clock received within the housing, said housing being pivotably disposed between a pair of lugs provided on a base, the bottom portion of said base receiving magnetic means shielded from said clock and exposable against a magnetic surface.

5. An improved clock supporting device comprising in combination, a generally circular housing composed of a non-magnetic plastic, a clock received within the housing and provided with an externally disposed dial, said housing being provided with a pair of diametrically opposed radial arms ournalled Within a pair of opposing lugs provided in a base, the base also being composed of a non-magnetic plastic material, the base also having a bottom portion provided with a circular platform, said circular platform having a depressed portion of rectangular conformation, said depressed portion seating a pair of adjacent steel shields, each of said shields including a horizontal web and a pair of oppositely disposed flanges depending from said web, each of said shields seating 21 generally rectangular permanent magnet, the poles of said magnet being disposed at the upper and lower faces of said magnet, said upper face being in contact with said Web, whereby the magnetic field of said upper face is diverted from said clock and the lower edges of said depending flanges acquire the polarity of said upper face, the said magnets and webs being provided with central apertures, the said depressed portion also being provided with a pair of threaded apertures aligned with the apertures of said magnets and webs, the aperture of said depressed portion being threadedly engaged with a pair of fastening elements extending through the apertures of said shields and magnets, the said shields and magnets being secured within said depressed portion by said fastening elements, the lower edges of said depending flanges being at the same elevation as the lower faces of said magnets, the said lower edges of said depending flanges and lower faces of said magnets being simultaneously abuttable against a magnetic surface.

6. An improved supporting device comprising in combination, a housing, a magnetically responsive mechanism received within the housing, magnetic mounting means disposed at the bottom of the housing and provided with a shield disposed between said magnetic mounting means and said magnetically responsive mechanism, said magnetic mounting means being abuttable against a magnetic surface.

7. A device according to claim 5, said magnets being comprised of a ceramic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

